Wednesday, September 16, 2009

UI Press releases first comprehensive account of Indians in Iowa

The University of Iowa Press will release the first comprehensive account of Iowa native peoples -- "The Indians of Iowa," written and illustrated by Lance M. Foster -- on Oct. 1.

The book, which is aimed at middle school and high school readers, will be available at bookstores or call 800-621-2736 or http://www.uiowapress.org. Customers in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East or Africa may order from Eurospan Group: http://www.eurospangroup.com/bookstore.

Many different Indian tribes have lived in Iowa, each existing as an independent nation with its own history, culture, language and traditions. Some were residents before recorded history; some lived in Iowa for relatively short periods; others visited Iowa during hunting trips or times of war. Foster's book is the only book for the general reader that covers the archaeology, history and culture of all the different native nations of Iowa.

Foster received a bachelor's degree in anthropology and Native American studies from the University of Montana, and master's degrees in anthropology and landscape architecture from Iowa State University. He is an alumnus of the Institute of American Indian Arts. A member of the Ioway Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, he teaches at the University of Montana-Helena College of Technology.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

I just received a copy of "Frontier Forts of Iowa" (William Whittaker, ed., U of Iowa Press, 2009) in which I wrote a chapter, "Native American Perspectives on Forts"! (Upper midwestern tribes): http://www.uipress.uiowa.edu/books/2009-fall/whittaker.htm

No, I don't get any royalties-- it was just a scholarly thing to do :-)

“This smooth blend of history and archaeology provides an important reference and guide to trading posts and military fortifications in present-day Iowa from the 1680s with the arrival of the French to 1863 and the removal of the Sioux. An excellent reference and a good read. Anyone interested in the history of the frontier, Indian-white relations, and military activities will find this book informative and engaging. A terrific guide to the location, construction, and occupation of more than fifty trading and military fortifications in present-day Iowa. Excellent maps, illustrations, and photographs. An essential reference for western historians.”—R. Douglas Hurt, Purdue University

At least fifty-six frontier forts once stood in, or within view of, what is now the state of Iowa. The earliest date to the 1680s, while the latest date to the Dakota uprising of 1862. Some were vast compounds housing hundreds of soldiers; others consisted of a few sheds built by a trader along a riverbank. Regardless of their size and function—William Whittaker and his contributors include any compound that was historically called a fort, whether stockaded or not, as well as all military installations—all sought to control and manipulate Indians to the advantage of European and American traders, governments, and settlers. Frontier Forts of Iowa draws extensively upon the archaeological and historical records to document this era of transformation from the seventeenth-century fur trade until almost all Indians had been removed from the region.

The earliest European-constructed forts along the Mississippi, Des Moines, and Missouri rivers fostered a complex relationship between Indians and early traders. After the Louisiana Purchase of 1804, American military forts emerged in the Upper Midwest, defending the newly claimed territories from foreign armies, foreign traders, and foreign-supported Indians. After the War of 1812, new forts were built to control Indians until they could be moved out of the way of American settlers; forts of this period, which made extensive use of roads and trails, teamed a military presence with an Indian agent who negotiated treaties and regulated trade. The final phase of fort construction in Iowa occurred in response to the Spirit Lake massacre and the Dakota uprising; the complete removal of the Dakota in 1863 marked the end of frontier forts in a state now almost completely settled by Euro-Americans.

By focusing on the archaeological evidence produced by many years of excavations and by supporting their words with a wealth of maps and illustrations, the authors uncover the past and connect it with the real history of real places. In so doing they illuminate the complicated and dramatic history of the Upper Midwest in a time of enormous change. Past is linked to present in the form of a section on visiting original and reconstructed forts today.

About Me

I recently moved from Helena, Montana, where I grew up, to White Cloud, Kansas where my tribe is based. I am an artist and an anthropologist/archaeologist, and live simply here with my wife Lisa. I help my tribe out with cultural and historic preservation, serving as the THPO for the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska. My new Nemaha blog is dedicated to the land and people of the Nemaha. It is where most of my blogging will be taking place, beginning in November 2013. I will update my other blogs occasionally as well.